Ira Glass, host of the beloved radio show This AmerÂiÂcan Life, offers a helpÂful reminder that excelÂlence doesÂn’t come autoÂmatÂiÂcalÂly. (See video below.) It takes work, years of it. And he revisÂits some of his earÂly radio work in order to prove it.
The Glass video has been added to our YouTube playlist.
Here at StanÂford, a couÂple of our teachÂers (Tom Kealey and Adam JohnÂson) took a novÂel approach to runÂning a writÂing class. They wantÂed to see what hapÂpens when 14 stuÂdents colÂlecÂtiveÂly write, edit and illusÂtrate a graphÂic novÂel. (A graphÂic novÂel is a type of comÂic book that feaÂtures a lengthy and comÂplex stoÂryÂline.) Fast forÂward a few weeks, and you can see what the class proÂduced. Their novÂel, “a wildÂly ambiÂtious, emoÂtionÂalÂly searÂing stoÂry,” based on a series of true events, is called Shake Girl, and you can start readÂing it here. Should you want to learn more about the writÂing of this colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive novÂel, you can lisÂten to this podÂcast that gives you the backÂstoÂry and also read this secÂtion of the Shake Girl webÂsite.
File this under “RanÂdom” …
ConÂtribute to The PowÂer of Dreams Music EduÂcaÂtion Fund at www.detroitsymphony.com and click on EduÂcaÂtion or go here.
SpeakÂing at the TED ConÂferÂence, Alisa Miller (CEO of PubÂlic Radio InterÂnaÂtionÂal) explains why AmerÂiÂcans know less and less about the rest of the world. Along the way, she uses some eye-popÂping graphs to put things in perÂspecÂtive. Watch the video below or find it on our YouTube playlist …
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Lots of newsprint has been dedÂiÂcatÂed to MIT’s OpenÂCourseÂWare iniÂtiaÂtive. And, of course, it’s underÂstandÂable. MIT’s project offers free access to mateÂriÂals from 1800 MIT coursÂes, many on the cutÂting edge of techÂnolÂoÂgy and engiÂneerÂing. It is all great. But sudÂdenÂly MIT is not the only tech powÂerÂhouse getÂting into the busiÂness of proÂvidÂing free eduÂcaÂtionÂal resources.
In India, there are sevÂen instiÂtutes dedÂiÂcatÂed to trainÂing some of the world’s top sciÂenÂtists and engiÂneers and makÂing the counÂtry an up and comÂing world powÂer. They are colÂlecÂtiveÂly known as the IITs, or the IndiÂan InstiÂtutes of TechÂnolÂoÂgy. And now some of the IIT coursÂes are being made availÂable in EngÂlish on YouTube for free. (The main page is here; the coursÂes are actuÂalÂly here.) Some of the titles feaÂtured here include: IntroÂducÂtion to ComÂputÂer GraphÂics, Core SciÂence MathÂeÂmatÂics, ComÂputÂer NetÂworks, IntroÂducÂtion To ProbÂlem SolvÂing & ProÂgramÂming, FluÂid MechanÂics, and EnviÂronÂmenÂtal Air PolÂluÂtion.
You can access the full list of IIT coursÂes here. And note that we have inteÂgratÂed many of these coursÂes into our colÂlecÂtion: Free Online CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties, which now feaÂtures more than 225 free coursÂes.
Long ago, I got in the habit of using MerÂriÂam-WebÂster’s online dicÂtioÂnary. And I’ve sufÂfered through the painfulÂly slow page loads for the betÂter part of a decade. But then I stumÂbled upon a betÂter alterÂnaÂtive. NinÂjaÂWords is “a realÂly fast dicÂtioÂnary … fast like a NinÂja.” Give it a try. You’ll enjoy the speed.
PS AnothÂer cool option is Definr.com, which is fast and feaÂtures a handy auto-comÂplete funcÂtion. Thanks to a readÂer for flagÂging that one for us.
As I write, the most emailed artiÂcle on The New York Times offers a few reflecÂtions on Peter BoxÂalÂl’s book, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. The Times piece makes a couÂple of logÂiÂcal points: First, there’s no time to waste if you hope to read every book on the list. ReadÂing a book per month, you’ll get through 1000 books in a mere 83 years. So you had betÂter get startÂed now. SecÂond, this “best of” list is bound to be conÂtroÂverÂsial. (Do you realÂly need to read Anne Rice’s “InterÂview With the VamÂpire” before it’s lights out?) The 1001 books on BoxÂalÂl’s list can be preÂviewed here. The book itself, which runs 960 pages, is obviÂousÂly more than a raw list. Each entry is accomÂpaÂnied by an “authorÂiÂtaÂtive yet opinÂionÂatÂed critÂiÂcal essay describÂing the imporÂtance and influÂence of the work in quesÂtion.” And also there’s apparÂentÂly some nice illusÂtraÂtions. If you’re a bibÂlioÂphile, it’s worth a look.
For more great books, see the colÂlecÂtion of Life ChangÂing Books creÂatÂed by our readÂers.
On SunÂday night, HBO aired its new film “Recount,” which delved back into the conÂtroÂverÂsial FloriÂda recount that deterÂmined the outÂcome of AmerÂiÂca’s 2000 presÂiÂdenÂtial elecÂtion. Days before the film (watch the trailÂer here) hit the airÂwaves, CharÂlie Rose conÂductÂed an interÂview with Kevin Spacey (actor in the film), JefÂfrey Toobin (Senior Legal AnaÂlyst at CNN) and David Boies (who argued Bush v. Gore on behalf of Al Gore). In watchÂing the film and interÂview, my first reacÂtion was to think: yes, it’s been eight long years, but it’s perÂhaps not been long enough. PerÂhaps anothÂer eight years is what it takes before politÂiÂcal trauÂma can be transÂformed into pure enterÂtainÂment. Or maybe it will nevÂer quite get there. But that says nothÂing about the merÂits of the film or the interÂview below. If you missed “Recount,” it re-airs tonight on HBO.
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